Disposable stamp dispenser



A ril 6, 1965 M. GOLDSHOLL 3,176,891

DISPOSABLE STAMP DISPENSER Filed Oct. 31, 1963 INVENTOR. MORTON GOLDSHOLL A T TOPN% United States Patent 3,176,891 DISPOSABLE STAMP DISPENSER Morton Goldsholl, Northfield, 111., assignor to Eureka Specialty Printing Company, Scranton, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 31, 1963, Ser. No. 320,449 7 Claims. (Cl. 225-46) This invention relates generally to stamp dispensers and more particularly to a handheld disposable stamp dispenser.

Of the many merchants who dispense trading stamps to their customers, many, such as gasoline service station attendants, desire a convenient rapid and inexpensive method and apparatus for dispensing. A disposable dispenser is desirable because of its convenience to the person dispensing stamps. It is to the satisfaction of these needs that the present invention is directed.

It is therefore a broad object of the invention to provide an improved dispenser.

It is a further object to provide an improved disposable trading stamp dispenser.

An important feature of this invention is the use of a single plastic insert which surrounds a roll of trading stamps with the ends of the insert acting as a guide and tearing edge for the stamps.

Another feature of the invention is the use of a split end on the tearing edge so that a single stamp may be easily detached from a roll having a plurality of stamps.

Another feature of the invention is the use of a serrated edge to prevent the trading stamps from slipping back into the dispenser box.

Another feature of the invention is the use of a transparent insert whereby the end of the strip of stamps may be observed.

A further feature of the invention is the use of a plurality of repeated markings for quickly noting and dispensing a large number of stamps without countingout each row one at a time.

These and other objects and novel features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims and the invention as to its organization and mode of operation will best be understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when used in connection with the accompanying drawings which are hereby made a part of the specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation View of the dispenser in cross-section.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the plastic insert.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a disposable twostamp dispenser with an insert and a cutaway portion of the serrated edge.

FIG. 4 illustrates the notched top feature of two-stamp dispenser.

FIG. 5 illustrates a five-stamp dispenser with repetitive identification markings.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a disposable handheld stamp dispenser. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to stamps but is intended to include dispens ing of any detachable portions or items. As seen, a container 2 having an opening 4 houses a roll of stamps 6 surrounded by an inert 8 which surrounds the stamps and passes through the container opening. The ends of the insert form an upper lip 10 and a lower lip 12 between which the stamps 6 pass. By pressing the upper lip 10 and lower lip 12 between the fingers the stamps or other continuous web may be easily torn against the ends of the lips which act as a tearing edge.

The insert may be of any suitable material, preferably smooth. By utilizing a transparent material for the in- 3,176,891 Patented Apr. 6, 1965 sert the position of the stamps relative to the tearing edge may be more easily noted.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the insert 8 in which serrated edge 14 has been formed by die cutting. The serrated edge friction against the stamps prevents them from slipping back into the container.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which a separate serrated piece 16 is placed inside the container .to prevent stamp slippage.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which a container 18 has an extended top portion 20 the lip portions 22 and 24 being formed when the extended portion is split. A lower lip 26 acts to support the end of the rnultirow of stamps. Either of the lips 22 and 24 may be selectively placed in the positions illustrated in FIG. 4 so that in dispensing stamps a stamp may be torn across one lip portion such as 22, down the split line between lips 22 and 24 and across the bottom of lip 24. In this manner any number of stamps may be dispensed from a multistamp roll.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which a five-stamp roll is dispensed from container 28. In each of the first five rows of stamps a readily identifiable symbol is printed on at least one stamp in the row. Five types of symbols are illustrated at 39, 32, 34, 36, and 38. The sixth row begins a repetition of the previous sequence of symbols so that twentyfive stamps may be quickly identified and dispensed merely by noting where the sequence repeats. It is readily seen that this significantly expedites the dispensing of large numbers of stamps.

It should be understood that this invention is not limited to specific details of construction and arrangement thereof herein illustrated, and that changes and modifications may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention; the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser comprising a container for retaining a plurality of individually detachable objects, the container having an opening formed therein, an insert for containing said objects placed within said container, said insert being of strip form and having its free ends projecting through the container opening a sufiicient distance to form superimposed manually compressible lip members which selectively engage said objects during dispensing.

2. A disposable trading stamp dispenser comprising a container having an opening formed therein, a roll of trading stamps within the container, and an insert of flexible strip material placed within the container and enclosing the roll of stamps, said insert having both terminals extending through the container opening to form two adjacent lips whereby the individual trading stamps may pass between the insert lips for ease in unrolling stamps, one of said lips of the insert defining a transverse tearing edge against which the stamps may be torn to separate stamps from the roll.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the insert is of a transparent material so the position of the stamps relative to the tearing edge may be readily observed.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least one lip has serrations formed therein to thereby prevent the stamps from slipping from the outside to the inside of the container.

5. A trading stamp dispenser comprising a container for temporarily retaining multirow trading stamps the said container having a transverse opening formed in one wall thereof, a split extended lip portion proximate one marginal edge of end transverse opening and an adjacent underlying supporting lip fixed to the other transverse marginal edge of said opening whereby the split extended portions may be positioned so as to selectively clamp any stamp of a row of stamps to dispense any desired number of stamps from each of the rows. 7

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which the split extended portion is formed as part of one continuouspiece of one of the sides of the container.

7. A container for holding and dispensing selected.

portions of a strip of stamps or; the like from a package of individually separable stamps, said container including side wall portions, a bottom, and a front wall portion, said front wall portion having a transverse opening formed therein, a separate insert member positioned in said container, said insert member being formed from a a strip of material and including a body portion for enclosing the package of individually separable stamps or the like within the container, said insert having its terrninal portions extending through the transverse opening in said front wall portion, said terminal portions being References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,601,062 6/52 Singer 225--16 XR 2,683,641 7/54 Larson 225--46 2,865,699 12/56 Fitzgerald 225--16 XR WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER COMPRISING A CONTAINER FOR RETAINING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUALLY DETACHABLE OBJECTS, THE CONTAINER HAVING AN OPENING FORMED THEREIN, AN INSERT FOR CONTAINING SAID OBJECTS PLACED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER, SAID INSERT BEING OF STRIP FORM AND HAVING ITS FREE ENDS PROJECTING THROUGH THE CONTAINER OPENING A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO FORM SUPERIMPOSED MANUALLY COMPRESSIBLE LIP MEMBERS WHICH SELECTIVELY ENGAGE SAID OBJECTS DURING DISPENSING. 